Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Villa.
Hi Mike, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My parents came to the US for work to help the family with money back in Mexico. Then I was born here in December of 1993 in Salt Lake City, UT. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away, and my mother needed to be there, so we moved back to Mexico when I was three. Growing up in Mexico is much different than in the US; as a small child, you feel obligated to work to help the family; I was always self-motivated and strived for the best grades in school, but unfortunately, I fell into a group of brutal gangs in Mexico. As a teen, I felt powerful and that being in these gangs would intimidate others into not messing with me. That was not the case; the more I got involved, the worse things seemed to get. This made me fear not only for myself but for my family. And those who know me know that my family means more to me than anything, and everything I do is for my family. This was when I knew that if I wanted to take care of my family, staying on this track in Mexico was not the path I wanted to continue. So I chose to move back to the US at 19 years old.
Navigating a new life in the US was difficult. I didn’t know any English and had no money, but I was here to build a beautiful life to care for my family and pay for an attorney to work on getting them here in the US with me. First things first, I needed to learn English and get a job. I went back to high school to take classes and got a job at the SLC airport, one at the Mcdonalds and then went straight to a second job at a kiosk in the same airport. After feeling more confident in the language barrier, I moved to rental cars at the airport. After that, I became a car salesman at a dealership in South Salt Lake, where I became the number one salesman, selling 30 cars a month. This gave me the money I needed to help my family out in Mexico, and I could afford an attorney to begin the process of getting them to the US. Being the top salesman had perks, but I had no time to see my friends or visit my family.
A friend of mine introduced me to the mortgage industry, where I decided to end my journey at the dealership and start a new one as a mortgage loan officer. I learned a lot in this industry and dipped my toes in the real estate world. This is when I joined a fantastic community of investors and started my own real estate company with three different branches, where we have accomplished a portfolio of six short-term rentals, property fix and flips, long-term residential rentals, long-term commercial rentals, and currently working on a land development out of the country. I have grown so much in the past nine years, and I am so grateful to have built something from the ground up that has not only changed my life but has helped my family and inspired so many others to start their own businesses or even help them through financial struggles. This is just the beginning for me, I have so many plans and goals, and I cannot wait to see where this next year brings us.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have been many struggles along the way. My first biggest struggle was the language barrier when I moved to the US. Coming here at a young age, it was challenging to figure out how to live in the US. I had no source of finances; I didn’t know anything about banking, health insurance, car insurance, or living situations. After learning the language, I needed to develop communication skills. I was more of an introvert with low confidence, and being in sales, I had to learn to come out of my shell and comfort zone to communicate with everyone. I had to adjust to fast pace situations in all of my jobs; the jobs at the airport and in sales taught me to develop these skills. I worked extremely hard with my family in the back of my mind, and I now have a self-made business, speak two fluent languages, and share my experience to help those in similar situations or those who need help. My experience has given me the knowledge to help those in similar situations or offer a helping hand to those in need.
We’ve been impressed with Villaro, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The name Villaro comes from my last name Villa and the ‘ro’ added at the end is for Real Estate Operations. After moving here, I didn’t have any US roots, so I wanted to have my company represent me and all of my hard work. Real Estate is my passion, and I find joy in learning more and more about this type of work. Under my company Villlaro I have three branches still in the works.
First, I have Villaro Properties. This branch is for short-term and long-term rentals. I love providing exceptional value to people who need a place to stay when visiting the area from all over the states and even from other countries.
Second, I have Villaro Real Estate Solutions. The purpose is to provide solutions to people with real estate challenges through our influential network. We can buy properties cash, fix and flip, or wholesale.
Third, there is Villaro Capital. We raise money and act as hard money lenders to fund investors on their deals or projects.
I believe our honesty and integrity set my company apart from others; we put people first. We strive for the best result for all parties, not just a solution benefiting us. This is a community, and as a community, we worked together on elevating ourselves as a team. I am very proud of that and the community I have helped create.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is being able to create a life by design, not default—having the power to help my family and impact as many lives as possible. That is what motivates me to get up and work hard every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: villarorealestate.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mikevilla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009105290508
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc80tloUFsGW0_E0yXHRT4w
